BC Shellfish Grower's Association

BCSGA WORKING Priority Research Projects (as at April 25th, 2008)

Click here to view and print BCSGA Working Priority R&D and Information Needs.

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R&D Workshop Reports to the BCSGA Membership:

• February 21st, 2008 - BCSGA Vibrio Workshop -see this page for more information.

• March 3rd & 4th, 2008 - Washington Sea Grant 16th Conference for Shellfish Growers. Click the following link for: Report to BCSGA Membership – summary of key conference messages (10 pages PDF file).

• October 19th, 2007 - BC Shellfish Growers Association – Annual R&D Workshop. October 19th, 2007 - R&D Workshop Minutes

• October 9th – 12th, 2007 - Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association 61st Annual Conference and World Wildlife Fund Mollusc Aquaculture Dialogues. Click here (PCSGA Annual Conference Report_October 2007) to read a brief report written by David (BCSGA RDC). For more information, contact David at (250) 890 7561

• September 23rd – 26th, 2007 - Aquaculture Canada Conference, 2007 (Edmonton, Alberta – click here for .pdf program). Aquaculture Canada is the annual conference of the Aquaculture Association of Canada which (1) promotes the study of aquaculture related science, (2) gathers and disseminates aquaculture information in Canada, and (3) creates public awareness and understanding of aquaculture in Canada. The BCSGA attends the AAC conference to stay up to date on Canadian national aquaculture research initiatives and to network with other aquaculture associations and government contacts. Key note speakers at the 2007 conference were: (1)Brian Peckford (former Newfoundland Premier) who spoke towards encouraging a coordinated national aquaculture PR effort (copy of speech available to BCSGA); (2) Rebecca Goldberg (Environmental Defense Fund) who spoke on Environmental Defence’s partnership projects with market-leading corporations, aiming to make significant and quantifiable solutions to pressing environmental issues, while also acheiving business benefits and creating an industry model; and (3) the Honourable David Anderson (former federal Minister of the Environment, currently Director of the University of Guelph, Institute for the Environment) who spoke on the ongoing political debate towards aquaculture (specifically finfish). Of note to the BCSGA, there has been developments to the proposed (and developing) Aquaculture Knowledge Exchange Portal -www.aquaport.ca. AquaPort is now a registerred non-profit and a new board of directors has been established. Also, the Network of Canadian Research & Development Coordinators met to plan for increased communication of R&D across the Canadian aquaculture industry associations.

• September 13th – 14th, 2007 - Washington Sea Grant – Bivalve Aquaculture and the Environment (click here to view the .pdf report). This workshop, organized (on very short notice) and facilitated by Washington Sea Grant, took place over two days at the Talaris Conference Center near the University of Washington in Seattle. The workshopwas driven by new legislation in Washington State that encourages Washington Sea Grant to facilitate research that addresses the recent concerns surrounding Geoduck aquaculture. However, the agenda was stacked with many high-level shellfish researchers and addressed many topics on the interactions of shellfish farming and the marine environment. Click here to link to the Washington Sea Grant Bivalve Aquaculture & Environment Workshop website. PDF files of each presenter’s presentations, along with video of each presentation and a workshop summary are available.
• March 26th – 29th, 2007 - Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research Conference (click here to view the .pdf report). Knowledge for the Salish Sea: Toward Collaborative Transboundary Solutions – Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC. Click here to link to the Research Conference website where you will find the conference proceedings.

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Shellfish Research & Development in the News Media:

• November 4th, 2007 - Mussels Face Extinction as Oceans Turn Acidic, The Telegraph. By the end of the century many popular seafood dishes will disappear from our tables as shellfish become increasingly scarce, scientists warn. They have found that the build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is causing the oceans to grow more acidic as increasing amounts of the gas dissolve in sea water.

• October 30th, 2007 - Healing Powers of Oysters Could Mend Human Bones, The Independent. French biologists who have been studying the way oysters produce nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, believe the process could be replicated to provide cures and preventative treatments for osteoporosis, arthritis and certain skin complaints.

• September 2nd, 2007 - Researchers Move Toward Predicting Red Tide, Portland Press Herald (click here to read article). Monitoring Changes in water conditions could provide clues to the timing of algae blooms.